15 men reported missing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2000, 21:45 GMT]Fifteen Tamils from Kopaveli, a village situated 30 km northwest of Batticaloa town, who went to collect firewood in the forests near Ampara border, have been reported missing by their relatives.

The men had gone to the forests near Marapalam, Thampitty and Maha Oya, villages in the Batticaloa Ampara border, and are feared arrested by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers from the Thampitty camp.

Normally, the men return before 2 am and they have not returned even late night, the relatives said.

Three months ago, in a similar incident, seven Tamil men from Kopaveli area who went to collect firewood disappeared. Bodies of two of the men were recovered with gunshot wounds a few days after they went missing.